Martin Truex Jr. was extremely angry with Denny Hamlin following the race in Richmond.
Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. (Via IMAGO)
While the majority of the race at Richmond last week proceeded as expected, the final laps of the event were quite eventful. Joe Gibbs Racing’s driver was on track to secure a victory and was just half a lap away from taking the white flag when NASCAR unexpectedly called a caution, extending the race into overtime. Truex Jr., who had been running in third place up until that point, emerged victorious in the battle on pit road and ultimately won the race.
However, the drama did not end there. Truex Jr., who was frustrated by his loss, repeatedly bumped into Hamlin from behind to express his emotions. This behavior was uncharacteristic of the No. 19 driver. In his post-race interview, the 2017 Champion called out Hamlin for jumpstarting and engaging in overly aggressive racing against his own teammate.
Following the race, Hamlin sat down with NASCAR Hall of Famer in the Dale Jr. Download podcast to discuss the win. When asked about the post-race drama, he revealed that the veteran drivers have not attended the competition meeting in-person for the past three years.
Dale Earnhardt J. was not surprised by Hamlin’s statement about Truex Jr. not attending the meeting. As former teammates and close friends, he knows that the No. 19 driver often prefers to spend time outdoors. Hamlin, while discussing the topic, highlighted that his teammate is finding the therapy he needs by immersing himself in nature.
Although he believes he did nothing wrong, the three-time Daytona 500 winner expressed sympathy for the 2017 Champion and acknowledged that he feels bad about what happened. He believes that Truex Jr. will be able to move on after a good night’s sleep.
Last week at Richmond, Martin Truex Jr. had every right to be furious. He lost a race that should have been his, due to an incident that had nothing to do with him. What made it even more frustrating was the fact that this was the sixth race in the past 10 years at Richmond where he has failed to secure a victory, despite leading for over 100 laps. He will be hoping for a strong performance at Martinsville to bounce back.
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